Spotlight is a series that features a past or current client of mine as they share a bit of their story, their talents, their insights, and their process with you. You might learn something from their journey, or you might just discover an amazing new business!
Audie Cunningham is a surface design and pattern designer, specializing in hand drawn and hand painted florals. Her art blends gorgeous rich colors and thoughtful designs that I personally can't get enough of! After her designs leave her small studio in Wyoming, they're digitized for commercial applications and manufacturing uses, so you might just see her work on a dress in Target or sheets in Nordstrom one day!
Audie shares a bit of her journey thus far below:
Audie at the Surtex tradeshow in NYC
What drew you to the work you're doing now?
I've always had an interest in art, but never saw any path to use my art to build a career. It seemed like the art that I enjoyed making and my particular way of making art didn't really fit into any of the boxes I knew about in the art world. I didn't think there were too many options for making a career and actually making the art I wanted to make. Then, while trying to learn Adobe Illustrator for my day job I took a tutorial class on pattern design. I didn't really know what that meant but if it taught me how to use the pen tool, sure, I'll try it. What I discovered is that there is this niche of the art and design world called surface design. It was basically my dream job.
When I started doing some research on surface and pattern design I found out that there was a way to make the art that I wanted to make, in the way that I wanted AND I could make it my career.
I literally had a jaw drop moment and shed a few tears as I discovered what I wanted to be when I grew up.
What do you like most about your work?
I like the endless possibilities of my work. I'm a strong advocate of continued education and with every new trick I learn and every new technique I try there are hundreds of new possibilities for art to be created. There are some rules about patterns that are needed for industry use but beyond those there are so many possibilities. I have new ideas for patterns and designs all the time. Sometimes I see new color combos that inspire me, a photo of a flower, a new medium I want to try to incorporate or a photo of a texture I want to mimic.
What have been the biggest “a-ha” moments in your business journey so far?
I think the biggest "a-ha" moment for me was finding out that I had to ask for business and not just wait for business to come to me. It seems like a very obvious notion but to me, as an artist, it was not so obvious.
I always thought that if I made good work, the business and sales would come. If it wasn't selling, it was because it wasn't good enough. Once I realized that making sales required so much more than making a sell-able product I started gaining some momentum and figuring out what this was really going to take.
Any big goals on the horizon?
I think the biggest goal at this point is to continue to refine and focus my business. It's tempting to try a little bit of everything to see what you like and what works. It's also a lot of fun to see what you can do! Figuring out what to spend my time and energy on is always a struggle for me and now it's time to take a look at the big picture and do some assessments for how to move forward making the art I want and making it work for me.
How do you overcome the hard stuff? What motivates you to keep going?
Honestly I think it just takes practice, like anything else and deciding that you are going to be in the drivers seat and not in the back seat.
And not just making that decision when things are good, but when they are bad or hard or uncomfortable.
Also, talking to someone who isn't your best friend or partner or mom. Those people love you and they want to protect you during the hard times. Their advice will not necessarily be the best advice for your business. I need someone to talk to who is invested in me as a business owner and can give me advice on my business while also being compassionate. Having a coach or a mentor has been crucial.
I also have a few mantras that have helped me in some seriously tough shit. They include "you can do hard things." Simple but profound. Because you can. "Hold on to what really matters and let everything else go."
I'm motivated by my passion for what I do. I genuinely love what I am doing and I want to be able to do it more. I'm also motivated by a desire to change my lifestyle. I don't think I can find the work life balance I need at a 9-5 job. I want flexibility for myself and my work.
How do you manage your time when working for yourself? Do you have any routines or morning rituals that you swear by?
Time management is critical for me because I am manage my business and also working a 9-5 job. I use spreadsheets. I know, I know, artists aren't suppose to also be the kind of people who use spreadsheets. I don't always want to be this way, but because of my current schedule, it has to happen. Each Sunday I map out my week. I figure out when I will have time to work on my art, what are priorities for the week and schedule accordingly. I love to do some yoga and meditation in the evening to relax and some journaling in the morning to set myself up for the day ahead. I wouldn't say I do these things religiously but when I do, my day goes a lot smoother.
What do you hope to be known for in the long run?
Mostly I just want to me know as an artist. For a long time I didn't communicate this as my identity because it wasn't my profession. I thought I couldn't call myself an artist until I was making big bucks selling art.
Then, one day a friend of mine introduced me to someone like this, "Hi Paul, this is Audie, she's an artist." It felt good.
Where can folks find you?
Website: https://www.audierosedesign.com/
Spoonflower: https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/audie_rose
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audie_rose_design/
